Firearm.



2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

' PATENTED SEPT. l1, 1906. T. C. JOHNSON.

PIREARM APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 1s, 1906.

PATENTED SEPT. 11, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

| f l f l l THE NORR'S PETERS co, WSHNCYON, D. C.

UNITE 4STATES rArnNrv OFFICE.-

THOMAS C. JOHNSON,

CUT, A CORPORATION.

ASSIGNOR TO CONNECTI- FIREARIVI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 11, 1906.

Application led March 13, 1906. Serial No. 305.780.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

` Be it known that I, THOMAS C. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Firearms and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the numerals of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, Aand which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, ini

Figure 1, a broken view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical longitudinal section, of a gun constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a corresponding view forming, in effect, an extension of the forward end of Fig. 1 Fig. 3, a vievsT in vertical transverse section on the line a l) of Fig. 1 Fig. 4, a detached view, in side elevation, of the balanced breech-block, an intermediate portion of its forward extension being broken away; Fig. 5, a view thereof in front elevation; Fig. 6, a detached view, in side elevation, of the barrel-cover, a portion of it being broken away g Fig. 7, a view thereof in front elevation; Fig. 8, a detached view, in side elevation, of the balanced breech-blocl sleeve; Fig. 9, a front view thereof.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of guns having what are known as balanced breech-blocks as distinguished from breech-closures positively held in their closed positions, so as to take the thrust of recoil, the object being to produce a compact, safe, durable, and convenient arm constructed with particular reference to avoiding the racking of the gun by the recoil.

With these ends in view my invention consists in a firearm having certain details of construction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention, as herein shown, the breech-block 2 is provided with a long fiattened bar-like forward extension 3, inclosed within and passing through a deep downwardly-opening slot 4, formed in the lower portion of the front end of the gun frame or receiver 5, the slot being so deep as to entirely receive the said extension within it. In other words, the slot 4 is deeper than the vertical depth ofthe extension 3. At its at the outset of this description,

eXtreme forward end the extension is turned upward at a right angle to form an arm 6, having a circular opening 6a, the gun-barrel 7 passes, the barrel being considerably smaller in diameter than the said opening 6a. The said block 2, extension 3, and arm 6, taken together, form a mass of sufficient inertia to remaining at rest at the instant of firing and then when the mass has absorbed the force of recoil moving back for the automatic operation of the action mechanism of the arm.

take the shock of recoil,

through which.

Such a breech-block is now known in the art t Y as a balanced breech-block, as referred to and its action need not be further described. The opening 62L aforesaid receives a bushing 8, embracing the gun-barrel 7 and formed at the forward end of a breech-block sleeve 9, also embracing the gun-barrel and having at its rear end a socket 10 to receive the forward end of the breech-closing spring 11, which encircles the gun-barrel and rests at its rear end against a washer 12, placed against the outer of a pair of washer-like buffers 13, of vulcanized fiber or other equivalent material.

These buffers are placed against a heavy recoil-shoulder 14, formed by the forward end of a recoil enlargement 14a at the rear end of the barrel and concentric therewith and larger than the same. It follows from this that the recoil-shoulder 14 is concentric with the barrel and with the aXis thereof. The

rear end of the sleeve 9 impinges against the washer 12 when the block 2 reaches the limit of its rearward excursion and takes the final shock of recoil. It is to be particularly noted in this connection that the shock of recoil is taken by the barrel itself rather than upon the gun frame or receiver. By throwing the shock of recoil upon the barrel itself the racking of the gun Owing to recoil is reduced to the minimum, and the danger of stripping the threads 15, formed upon the hub 15a of the same in the the gun-barrel for securing Furthermore receiver 5, is wholly avoided.

under the construction just described the shock of recoil is taken in line with the aXis of the gun-barrel in which the recoil is generated. This also tends to reduce the racking of the gun.

For inclosing the rear portion ofthe barrel 7, the arm 6, the sleeve 9, and the spring 11 I employ a barrel cover or housing 16, having IOO wu, 09a '211 its rear end internally threaded for being screwed uponthreads 17 formed at the rear end of the recoil-taking enlargement 141a of the barrel. This cover extends forward and at its forward end is formed with a tenon 18, fitting into a tip 19, which may be of ordinary construction and which, as shown, is secured to the barrel by a pin 2O and receives the for* ward end of the fore-arm 21, the rear end of which abuts against the forward end of the gun-frame 5. The bottom of this barrelcover is cut away for about half at its forward end, as at 22, for the clearance of the lower portion of the sleeve 9, which is formed with a rectangular foot 23, that rests upon the flat upper face of the forward end of the extension 3 and locks the sleeve against turning with respect to the other parts.

The breech mechanism of the gun is neither shown nor Adescribed and may be understood to be of any approved construction suitable for use withmy present invention, which relates immediately to the construction of a balanced breech-block and,

gun-barrel and coacting parts.

I claim` 1.I In a firearm, the combination with the frame thereof, of a barrel having a concentric recoil-taking shoulder, a breech-block having a forward extension provided with an u pturned arm encircling the barrel, a sleeve mounted in the said arm and embracing the barrel and having a socket, a spring entering the said socket and encircling the barrel the shoulder of which of the sleeve for taking the shock of recoil.

2. In a firearm, the combination with the frame thereof, of a barrel having a concentric recoil-taking shoulder, a balanced breechblock having a forward extension terminatmg in an upturned arm encircling the barrel,

a sleeve mounted in the said arm and embracing the barrel, a spring encircling the barrel and interposed between the said sleeve and shoulder, and a barrel-cover fixed to the of its length.

is engaged by the rear end forwardv end l l' 4 a rear end of thebarrel and extending forward therefrom to the said upturned arm.

3. In a rearm, the combination with the frame thereof, of a barrel having at its rear end a recoil-taking enlargement the forward end of which forms a concentric recoil-taking shoulder, one or more buffers placed against the said shoulder, a balanced breech-block having a forward extension terminating in an upturned arm, a sleeve carried by the said arm and at its rear end coacting with the said buffers, a spring encircling the barrel and interposed between the sleeve and buffers, and a barrel-cover secured to the said enlargement and extending forward over the said arm.

4. In a firearm, the combination with `a guneframe the lower portion of the front end of which is formedwith a deep slot, of a bar rel havin a concentric recoil-taking shoulder, a balanced breech-block having a forward extension inclosed within and passing forward through the said slot and terminating at its forward end in an upturned arm which coacts with the said shoulder for taking the shock of recoil.

5. In a firearm, the combination with the frame thereof, of a barrel formed with a concentric recoil-taking shoulder, a balanced breecheblock having aforward extension terminating at its forward end in an upturned arm, a sleeve carried by the said arm and coacting with the said shoulder, a spring encircling the barrel and interposed between the said sleeve and shoulder, a fore-arm, a fore-arm tip, rear end to the barrel and connected at its with the tip.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS c. JoHNsoN.

Witnesses:

DANIEL H. VEADER, HERBERT F. BEEBE. 

